Faculty Feedback: Help Improve Library Services

hbruc3 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:08:34 +0000

Faculty Feedback: Help Improve Library Services hbruc3 Wed, 03/26/2025 - 14:08

Fines and Fees Policy

jhall62 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:11:41 +0000

Fines and Fees Policy jhall62 Wed, 03/26/2025 - 10:11

I. Policy Information

Policy Title: UIS Library Policy on Fines and Fees
Policy Owner: UIS Library User Services Department
Responsible Official: Program Coordinator Patron Services
Approved by: UIS Library Leadership Team
Date Approved: 9/25/24
Effective Date: 9/25/24
Targeted Review Date: April 2026
Contact: questions@uis.libanswers.com
Related Policies:

II. Scope

This Policy applies to all UIS library users, including: staff, faculty, graduate/undergraduate
students, emeritus faculty, I-Share patrons, reciprocal borrowers, alumni, and Friends of the
Library.

This Policy only applies to materials loaned from UIS. If UIS patrons request materials from
other I-Share institutions, they will be subject to the policy of the lending institution.

III. Definitions

I-Share: Resource-sharing service supported by the Consortium of Academic and Research
Libraries of Illinois. This allows patrons from our institution to easily request materials from
other university libraries throughout Illinois.

Overdue: Library materials are considered overdue the day after the due date. No overdue fines
are accrued, but the item must be returned to avoid replacement fees.

Lost: Library materials are automatically moved to lost status after being overdue for an
extended period of time. Lost status does not necessarily mean that items are indeed lost. Feature
Films and Library of Things items are moved to lost status after 7 days overdue. All other
materials are moved to lost status after 35 days overdue.

Fines: These are daily-accrued penalties for the late return of materials. We do not have fines.

Fees: These are replacement charges for lost, damaged, or otherwise unreturned materials. We
continue to charge replacement fees.

IV. Purpose

The purpose of the Policy is to facilitate the return or replacement of library materials in a timely
manner, so as to ensure equitable access for all our patrons. This is in line with our library
mission to support creative discovery, passionate scholarship, and cultural enrichment.

V. Background

The UIS library aims to provide a rich collection of resources which are accessible to our
patrons. In order to maintain equitable accessibility to these communal resources, these materials
have limited loan periods. When these loan periods lapse, the item is due back in a timely
manner. When the item is not returned or is otherwise lost or damaged, library fines and fees act
as a means to recover or replace overdue items.

VI. Statement of Policy

Overdue Fines

We believe that our patrons care about library materials. Often, overdue items are the result of a
variety of life factors which may delay the return of these items. So we do not charge any
overdue fines.

Lost/Damaged Item Fees

When items are overdue for an extended amount of time, they may be labeled as lost by our
library management system. This occurs 35 days after an item is overdue for general collection
materials and 7 days for feature films, locker keys and Library of Things items. Even if you
receive an email stating an item is lost, it can still be returned and fees will be waived. If items
are not returned or are lost/damaged, patrons may be held responsible for replacement costs of
these items.

Please note: our library system has automatic renewals. So when something goes into lost status,
it has already been renewed the maximum number of times.

In addition to these automatic renewals, we send out a series of notices before sending charges to
the Cashier's office (aka the university bursar). Even if charges have been added to your
university/student account, you can still return the item and the library will remove the charge or
credit the amount back to you.

Be aware that fees can affect your transcripts, receipt of diploma, and other bursar-related
activities. To avoid these issues, please return items in a timely manner or work to provide a
replacement for lost/damaged items.

Paying Fees

If you have been charged a replacement fee, it will be posted to your student/university account.
You cannot pay these fees in the library or with iCard. These fees must be paid through your
online account as you would normally pay for your tuition and fees. For more information about
this, please contact the university bursar.

For further assistance, please reference their guide to paying your university bill.

Replacements

We accept good-condition replacements. They must be the same item or a newer edition. Please
contact us and we will help you find an acceptable replacement. Please see our related FAQ for
more information on finding a replacement. If you are providing a replacement, please let us
know so that we can remove any fees from your account.

If you need to ship us a replacement, our mailing address is:

1 University Plaza, MS BRK 140
Springfield, IL 62703

Claimed Returns

If you have received an email about a lost item which has already been returned, please submit a
claimed return form and our staff will address this as soon as possible.

Once this form is received, employees will conduct a thorough check to locate the item. When
found, it will be removed from your account and all fees will be waived. We kindly ask that you
check your home/vehicle/etc. as our staff searches for the item. Please note: while the item is
being searched for, it will remain on your library account. However, during this time, no fees for
this item will be charged to your account.

Claims of returned items are accepted at the discretion of library staff.

Fee Waiver

We understand that sometimes extraordinary circumstances can affect the return of library
materials. As such, we accept requests for fees/fines to be waived. These requests are processed
on a case-by-case basis and are subject to the approval of our librarians and staff.

If an item has been lost or damaged and you'd like to submit a fee waiver, you must fill out a fee
exemption request.

Blocks

We avoid placing blocks on library accounts except when absolutely necessary. To resolve these
blocks, overdue items should be returned or fees should be paid.

All accounts with 5 or more overdue items are automatically blocked from checking out
additional items.

Blocks for fees are placed when patrons reach a certain fee limit. See the different fee limits
below:

Faculty and Emeritus Faculty: $400+
Students and Staff: $200 +
I-Share Patrons, Alumni, Friends, Reciprocal Borrowers, and Visiting Scholars: $75+

Additional blocks are placed at the discretion of library staff.

Please note: in line with our I-Share agreement, we sometimes place blocks in order to facilitate
the return of another institution’s materials. To avoid such blocks, make sure to return materials
on time.

Policy Level

Unit-level

Approval Date

09-25-2024

Effective Date

09-25-2024

Last Reviewed

03-26-2025

Responsible Unit

Brookens Library

Unit Head

Sarah Sagmoen

New Interface for EBSCOhost Databases

jhall62 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:28:29 +0000

New Interface for EBSCOhost Databases jhall62 Thu, 03/13/2025 - 09:28

Chancellor’s CAPE, CARE, and Star Awards

khobb2 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:14:22 +0000

Chancellor’s CAPE, CARE, and Star Awards khobb2 Mon, 10/21/2024 - 09:14

Please join us on March 13, 2025 to celebrate this year's CARE and CAPE Award nominees and hear the chancellor announce the award winners. The Chancellor’s Award Recognizing Excellence in Civil Service (CARE) and the Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award (CAPE) have been awarded annually at UIS for the past 18 and 22 years. Each year, we receive nominations highlighting members of our campus community who consistently go above and beyond their duties and truly exemplify excellence. We will also announce the winners of the Nova, Orion, Polaris, and Sirius Awards.

When

Thu, Mar 13 2025, 3 - 4:30pm

Location

Student Union Ballroom

Event Type

Employee

Department

Brookens Library

Employee of the Year Ceremony

khobb2 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:34:34 +0000

Employee of the Year Ceremony khobb2 Mon, 10/21/2024 - 08:34

The Employee of the Year (EOY) Program recognizes employees who have served UIS in an exceptional manner. Please join us at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 in the Student Union Ballroom as we celebrate our 2024 Employees of the Month and announce the Employee of the Year.

2024 Employees of the Month

Douglas Brackney
Brian Clevenger
Laci Engelbrecht
Carlene Hindert
Jason Keran
Joshua Lauer
Rhyann Morris
Amanda Roberts
Teresa Seacrist
John "Jack" Stege
Madison Vangunten

When

Thu, Jan 30 2025, 3:30 - 5pm

Location

Student Union Ballroom

Event Type

Employee

Department

Brookens Library

Faculty Newsletter: UIS Library News for Fall 2024

hbruc3 — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 17:56:44 +0000

Faculty Newsletter: UIS Library News for Fall 2024 hbruc3 Thu, 08/22/2024 - 12:56

UIS awarded a $102,668 open educational resources grant from the Illinois Secretary of State

bwood8 — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 17:36:14 +0000

UIS awarded a $102,668 open educational resources grant from the Illinois Secretary of State bwood8 Wed, 06/12/2024 - 12:36

2024 Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award Winners

bwood8 — Mon, 13 May 2024 20:37:08 +0000

2024 Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award Winners bwood8 Mon, 05/13/2024 - 15:37

UIS Library News for Spring 2024

hbruc3 — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 07:43:45 +0000

UIS Library News for Spring 2024 hbruc3 Wed, 01/31/2024 - 01:43

Why do I get a warning that my connection may be insecure when attempting to use a database?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 19:21:55 +0000

Why do I get a warning that my connection may be insecure when attempting to use a database? Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/19/2023 - 13:21

When attempting to log into EZproxy to access a database, if your browser gives a warning that your connection may be insecure you may be able to fix it by clearing your browser data and cache. You may be logged out of websites after clearing your browser data.